Chapter 14- Crushed Her Dreams!

  -Helia Pace; Throne Room-

  In the grand throne room of Helia Pace, I stood before my father, the King, my heart rag with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. The room was a breathtaking dispy of opulence, with high vaulted ceilings adorned with intricate gold leaf designs and majestic deliers casting a warm glow over the polished marble floors. Rich tapestries depig our kingdom's storied history lihe walls, and the throself, draped in deep crimso, loomed behind my father, a symbol of his authority. "Radiant as the golden sun that illuminates reat kingdom, Your Majesty, I, your humble subject, stand before you, hoo bask in the light of your divine presence," I greeted, my voiwavering. "Raise your head," he anded, his tone sharp. I plied, meeting his gaze with a calm demeanor. "Luxana..." he began, his brow furrowing as he searched for the right words. "This is a versatioween the King and the Princess, not a father and his daughter, Your Majesty," I interjected, my tone resolute. The King’s expression hardened, frustration flickering in his eyes. "First Princess of Domino, Luxana De a Mera Domino. In your presence, I humbly seek elucidation and resolution to the matters that have stirred uainty within my mind." I tilted my head slightly, maintaining my posed facade. "It shall be my duty and privilege to provide the necessary crification and guidao address and ultimately dispel the s that trouble you, Your Majesty." "Then..." the King began, but I interrupted, feeling a surge of determination. "Regarding Her Majesty the Queen, I realize I have been rude, and I do not pn to tihis behavior. I will duct myself with the utmost de. As for the person visiti night, it is my personal maid. I have acquired an attendant to serve me personally, as I wish to stay informed about the test trends in High Society." A flicker of guilt crossed my mind as I fabricated my expnation about My, but I brushed it aside. "And what I do all day, I ve because I believe that restrig myself to the Pace will not aid me in achieving my ambitions." The King raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by my boldness. "Ambition? What sort of ambition?" he inquired, his voice ced with genuine curiosity. Oh look who's ied! But sooner or ter this ambition itself will reveal itself. Luxana thought to herself. "Why must I disclose that to you? Do you truly believe this is an age for a daughter to fide in her father about her dreams? I think not... and besides, if I told you, you would destroy it just as you did with my mother's ambitions. Oh, wait... how would you even remember what my mother’s ambitions were? You don't even know how old I am..." "How old? Of course, I know how old you are! You are turning 20 this year!" he excimed, his tone incredulous. "What?" I replied, my expression shifting to one of disbelief. "Isn't that why there's been gossip about your marriage retly?" he asked, fusion evident on his fabsp;MARRIAGE? Ah! It must've been that idiot who did this. I thought I made my stance clear. But seems like that idiot's brain cells aren't funing at all. Sigh. God, please show some mere. Luxana thought to herself. "I believe it is one of Lady Furia's doings, Your Majesty. And I am not 20 years old; I am merely 15," I crified, my voice steady despite the turmoil within. "Lady Furia? Where did she e from?" The King pressed, his brow furrowing deeper. "It seems dispensable for me to eborate this any further. I shall take my leave now, Your Majesty. Have a good day." With a graceful bow, I turo exit the throne room, leaving my father in a state of shobsp;Just as I reached the door, the King called out, his voice sharper now. "Luxana, wait." I turned back, surprised by the sudden shift in his tone. "Luxana, do not think you simply dismiss these matters so easily! Your cold demeanor is infuriating! Do you not uand the weight of your as?" he shouted, his voice eg through the chamber. I felt a jolt at his words, the heat of his anger washing over me like a wave. "Your Majesty, I—" "Do not interrupt me!" he thundered, his fury palpable. "You act as if you are untouchable, as if your choices do not affect those around you. You are my daughter, a you refuse to show any warmth ard for your family! This is uable!" His words struck deep, and I felt the cracks in my posed facade. "Your Majesty, I do not—" "Enough!" he bellowed, his voice rising in iy. "You think this is a game? That you simply walk away from your responsibilities and the expectations pced upon you? You are a princess, and your as have sequences!" The tension in the room thied, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. "Your Majesty, I am trying to—" "Trying to what? Defy me? Act as if you are above your station? You think you simply disregard the legacy of your mother? You think you ighe sacrifices she made for this family?" His voice was a mixture of anger and disappoi, and I felt my posure slipping. At the mention of my mother, a wave of emotion surged through me, and I struggled to maintain my calm. "You do not uand—" Alright! This won't do! He cut me off 4 times in a row. I'll show you! Luxana thought to herself. "I do uand! I uand that you are throwing away everything she worked for! You are a refle of her, a you choose to tarnish that legacy with your arrogance!" he shouted, his face flushed with rage. In that moment, the dam within me broke. "How dare you speak of her like that!" I shouted back, my voice rising in defiance. "You have nht to judge her sacrifices when you were the one who crushed her dreams!" "Crushed her dreams—" he began, but I cut him off. "No! You do not get to speak! You do not get to dictate my life or my ambitions! I will not be a pawn in yame, nor will I allow you to tarnish my mother’s legacy with your cruelty!" For a heartbeat, silenveloped us, the weight of our words hanging in the air. I stood my ground, my heart rag, my breath ing in quick bursts. He tinued, his voice harsh and unyielding. "I raised you better than this." I scoffed. "Raised me? Oh, apologies, but I believe I'm not the person you've just mentioo have raised." The King was furious. "You really are nothing pared to Roxana!" At the mention of my mother, a storm of emotion surged within me, but I held my ground. "Because I am Luxana. Someone who has nothing to do with her foolish, obnoxious mother." I replied, my voice steady. "Are you insulting your mother now?" asked the King, his voice rising. "Insulting? I'd rather call this 'stating the truth,' Your Majesty. Because she is a disgrace to the throne, and please do not associate me with a dead woman anymore." The King was shocked and taken ababsp; "I remember well how the two of you have raised… no… thrown me aside. So please stop thinking if you mentioned my mother, I'd be taken aback or so. Nothing is going to ge me, not even my mother's death or presence. I want te my own path." "Your path? You think you simply disregard the sacrifices she made for this family?" he roared, his fury palpable. "You are throwing away everything she worked for! This is uable!" "Your Majesty!" I replied, my voice steady despite the rising tension. "I am not my mother, and I will not be defined by her choices or your expectations!" The King’s expression twisted in anger. "You think you defy me? You think you ighe responsibilities that e with your title? You are a princess, and your as have sequences!" "You do not uand the burden of your expectations!" I shot back, my voiwavering. "I will not be a puppet for your ambitions!" In that moment, the King’s fury reached its peak. "You are an embarrassment to this family! You think you act as if you are above your station? You are nothing without your mother's efforts, reition, sacrifices, influence, and my authority. You are a princess, and you will act like one! You will learn to respect your role as a princess, whether you like it or not. You will learn your p this family, one way or another." "Your Majesty, I will not be silenced!" I retorted, my voice filled with vi. "I will not allow you to sew me to form a refle of that woman or dictate my future with your mouth!" "LUXANA!" he screamed, his voice eg off the walls. "You will regret this defiance," he warned, his eyes filled with anger. "The one who'll regret it will be YOU, Your Majesty! I've… never done anything to you… or anybody…" The King’s expression shifted, his anger giving way to something deeper—regret, perhaps. "I only wao protect you, to guide you," he said, his voice quieter now, though still tinged with frustration. Tears pricked at the ers of my eyes, and I fought to maintain my posure. "I do not wish to be a pawn in yames, Your Majesty." "Then what do you wish for, Luxana?" he demanded, his expression softening just a fra, though the tension remained palpable. In that moment, I felt like I was drowning in a sea and without realising I said things that I knew I'd regret. "I wish to be seen for who I am, not just as a refle of your past or a tool for your ambitions!" I cried, my voice rising, the tears spilling over as I struggled tain my posure. "I wish te my own path, to pursue my own dreams without fear of being crushed by the weight of your expectations!" The King’s expression shifted, surprise flickering across his face as he took a step closer. "Luxana..." he began, his voice softer now, almost pleading as he walked toward me. I felt the tears flowing freely now, the sound of my quiet sobs breaking the tension in the air. "You do not uand! I am not her! I am not a refle of her failures!" As I stood there, my emotions p out, the Kiated for a moment before moving closer, his expression shifting from ao something softer. He opened his arms, and in an ued gesture, he enveloped me in a hug. The warmth of his embraveloped me, and I could hear the soft sound of his breath as he whispered, "I never meant to hurt you, Luxana." I felt the weight of my tears against his shoulder. "I just want to be me." He held me tighter, the tensioween us dissolving into a fragile uanding. "Then find the artifact of Lirania and prove yourself, my daughter," he whispered, his voice filled with a mix of hope and expectation. "What… do you mean?" I asked, my voice trembling. "I 't tell you that… it's up to you… to find out." He released me from his arms, stepping back to look into my eyes. "First Princess of Domino, Luxana De a Mera Domino, prove yourself to me." With that, he turned ahe throne room, leavianding alone, my heart rag with every drop of tears. I felt an overwhelming heaviness settle over me, as if I were nothing more than a soulless body drifting through a fog of despair. The woman who had vowed to seek revenge now stood weeping before the very person she was destio kill. "AHHH!!! I hate myself!" I cried out, my voice breaking as I colpsed onto the cold, unfiving floor. The chill seeped into my bones, amplifying the numbhat had taken root in my heart. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing; they poured down my cheeks like a relentless storm. I wept a, each sob eg in the silence of the chamber, a haunting melody of my anguish. The sound of my cries filled the air, raw and desperate, until the knights eheir expressions a mix of and fusion as they urged me to leave.Yet, I couldn't shake the thought of my father—no, His Majesty. Would he still…? AHHH! My mind spiraled, drowning in uainty. I couldn't think anymore. I just didn’t know… I just didn’t… I don’t… I… don’t… The words faded into a choked whisper, lost in the depths of my despair, as I felt utterly alone in my turmoil.-In Valentine Duchy; Garden-

  In the serene garden of Valentine Duchy, the sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground as I sat across from her, who held a delicate tea cup in her hand. "Cillian, have you been well?" Liara asked, her smile warm and inviting. Liara Rorina, the sed daughter of House Rorina, possesses a captivating appearah her vibrant purple hair and striking blue eyes. On the surface, she exudes a sweet, serene, and intelligent demeanor, making her seem like the epitome of a well-mannered and disciplined young woman. Her soft smile is a stant panion, often disarming those who enter her.

  However, beh this seemingly friendly exterior lies a woman who is colder than the most frigid of individuals. While she excels in political and business affairs, her iature be off-putting to those who seek a more warm and inviting personality. Despite her exceptional qualities, she is not the type to actively seek attentio out of her way to eh others.

  It is worth noting that sihe age of ten, Liara has beehed to me, though the retionship has always been more akin to that of siblings rather than romantic partners. her of us have shoarticur i iher, and it is highly uhat she harbors a secret lover, as her focus seems to lie elsewhere.

  One of Liara's ued passions is archery, a skill often sidered unbeing of women in your society. During one of my archery lessons, she surprised me by visiting and expressing a keen i in the bows. Without hesitation, she picked up a bow and effortlessly shot a perfect bullseye, earning appuse from my teacher. This ued dispy of talent and skill left me puzzled, as it seemed to tradict her usual demeanor.

  Liara is a woman of many surprises, and her uable nature keeps everyone ooes. She possesses an uny ability to gather information about almost everyone, making her a highly sought-after fidante among the women of the empire. In fact, st year, she gaihe title of "Queen of Popurity" among the dies, with many f a fan club dedicated to her.

  Despite her aloof nature, Liara has a way of revealirue self at ued moments, catg those around her off guard. Her ability to adapt and surprise is a testament to her plexity as a character, making her a fasating and intriguing individual to observe and i with.

  "Of course, I have. Thank you for asking," I replied, taking a sip of the fragrant tea while gng around the lush garden, the vibrant flowers swayily in the breeze.

  Liara leaned in slightly, her left index finger resting thoughtfully on her , a curious expression lighting up her features. "The fact that Princess Luxana of Domino awakened her powers... is true, isn't it?"

  To be tinued...